Morana knows she's different from other people in more ways than one. Firstly, she's sixty-seven years old but stopped ageing in her twenties. Weird things have also happened around her right after she's wished for it. But most importantly, no matte...
When Alejo had left, I picked up Leramidon from the bed and sat down with him in my lap. None of the furniture belonged to me, so apart from the aquarium being gone, the apartment looked the same. Even so, there was an empty feeling to it.
Or maybe it was just my anxiety making it feel cold.
All the thoughts of what might go wrong kept repeating in my head and I felt like I must have been temporarily insane when I had agreed to moving in with Alejo. There were the normal things to worry about. I hadn't lived with someone else since I turned eighteen, so I wasn't at all that used to having someone to correct myself after. What if he thought I was too messy, or I thought he was? What if he took ages in the shower in the morning? What if he would hate me singing while cleaning?
And then on top that of, there was everything else. What if, now that I started to learn magic, that dark part in me would grow? And he would eventually not want to be around it? No one else had ever been able to stand having me live under the same roof as them, so why would he be any different?
Maybe this was all a foolish mistake?
"Should I really do it?" I asked Leramidon. He was chilling on my lap, not giving a crap about anything, like any turtle would. But when I looked down at him, it felt as if he met my eyes. Completely my own imagination, but it felt as if he looked at me and urged me to move in with Alejo, because, in the worst case scenario, I could just move to another city later and start over.
"You're right," I sighed in relief. "You're absolutely right."
I went to the landlord and told him I was moving. He was a bit grumpy to find out so last minute, but like most, he mainly seemed happy to be rid of me. Then I took a cab to Alejo's apartment. Or I guess my new home.
I stopped before the door. Took a deep breath. Kissed Leramidon on the shell for good luck and then rang the doorbell.
Alejo opened the door almost instantly with a huge smile. He moved aside so I could walk in and I before I took the step, my stomach was in knots. It was a step into a new chapter of my life and I already then knew the chapter would be very different from anything previous. But once I had taken the step and was inside the apartment, it only felt right. As if I belonged there and that things would only get better from here on out.
I started by placing Leramidon into his aquarium and just looked around the room a bit. Alejo had gone to the living room to give me some privacy. I spent a moment sitting on the bed. I could have started to unpack, but decided against it. Instead, I simply took the room in, familiarized myself with the white walls and wood floor. Felt how soft the bed was and noted that the wardrobe would practically still be empty after I had hung all my clothes in there.
Alejo sat on the couch with the TV on when I came into the living room, though I had the distinct feeling of that he hadn't actually paid attention to the TV.
"All good?" he asked and smiled at me.
"All good," I answered and moved to sit down on the couch next to him.
"I got this for you." He took up a key ring with a single key on it from the table and held it out to me. I took it and it all felt official. We were really living together.
"So anything you want to do tonight, roomie?" Alejo asked and laughed.
"Not really," I shrugged. "We can just watch a movie or something."
And that's what we did. We watched one, then ate some more of the stew he had made. Then watched another one before it was time for bed.
It had, without a doubt, been an eventful day, but also a very ordinary one. And to my relief, it wasn't awkward with Alejo. We talked and joked a bit during the movies. I ended up going to the bathroom to brush my teeth while he was already there, but it felt natural to stand side by side and brush them. We said a simple goodnight and then we both closed our respective bedroom doors.
All natural and ordinary and easy.
That night, I didn't dream anything. It made me wake up feeling sad and lonely. Almost as if a dear friend hadn't showed up for plans we had made without giving any warning.
I felt completely ridiculous. I usually didn't dream so why would I suddenly feel upset over not having dreamed anything? It was just silly and stupid.
I got out of bed, feeling angry with myself over feeling sad. I went to the bathroom before going to the living room. Alejo was already up. He wore sweatpants and a worn out t-shirt, same as what I had on.
"Coffee's ready in the kitchen. Fair warning, I'm usually not human until I have had at least two cups," he told me while clutching his coffee. The TV was on again, this time showing the morning news.
I gave him a nod and then went into the kitchen. It was my first time in there and it was smaller than I had imagined. There was one small table that only fitted two chairs and just enough space for one person to cook. It made it easy to find the cups though. There were only two cupboards to pick from. The first one I tried contained plates and the second cups and glasses. I took one out and poured some coffee into it before joining Alejo by the TV.
"Slept well?" he asked as I sat down.
"Yeah," I answered and felt again a slight annoyance over the sadness I had woken up to.
"Good. I made a list of some stuff we should get for the room yesterday. Take a look and add anything you would want."
He handed over a piece of paper and I read through it. Just looking at it made me anxious about money and I was about to open my mouth to say I didn't need all of that when Alejo spoke.
"Don't say anything about money. It'll be on me. If you ever decide to move out, I'll then have a fully furnished room to take a new roommate in."
It was as if he could read my mind. I had had a feeling he would say he would pay, to which I would say no. But with the way he put it, I couldn't argue against him.
So I smiled, the sadness and loneliness from when I had woken up completely gone.
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